Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-24

from central sections to those more remote.
and companies Of State troops and strong
divisions Of police are kept constantly
under arms, 1t is said that the fear of at
tempted disturbance has extended even to
the police officials, aud that extraordinary
precautionary steps are being taken
which IT is proper to do--to prevent any
attempt to rescue the prisoners, or bring
about an uprising of the criminal element.
There are some timorous people who as
sumo wisdom they have not, and advise
that the execution he abandoned and the
murderers accorded Communication of their
sentences, from death to Imprisonment for
life. This suggestion is advanced, on the
ground that this is the first trial and con-
viction of Anarchists, and that TO bring
about conflict now between their follow
err and the authorities will be to visit,
possibly, punishment upon thousands of
innocent people, and result in the destruc-
ton Of much property.
1t is incredible that such timidity
can be manifested by any American who
holds the institutions of free government
in any respect whatever. A policy Of COM
promise now will be the equivalent of de-
feat Of order, law and decency, and
the triumph Of lawlcssnesS and anarchism
Ii Is mistake to speak of the Chicago
cases being the first anarchist trials. There
have been no anarchist trials, no trials for
anarchism. No such offense is known to
| our Jurisprudence. These men, whom we
call Anarchists for convenience of indenti-
iication, and because they pose as such,
were indicted, tried and convicted as ordi-
nary criminals. They were indicted, tried
and condemned for violating the mandate
Chou shalt not kill" Their method of
accomplishing murder was new to this
country, and they did, it is true, announce
assassination of opponents to be plank in
their political platform. But the ordi-
binary laws against crime met their cases.
They cannot dignity their offending by
any attempt to robe it with political char
| actor. They are common, cold-blooded
| and calculating murderers of innocent be-
ings nothing more, and they have been
treated as such.
There is no danger of an uprising of any
great Importance. There are 5000 male
! adult Anarchists in Chicago, and about
5000 avowed Socialists, These have q
following of criminal classes amounting to
about 5000 more. But the Socialists have
OF announced any desire to fight, and are,
save few, not committed to the methods on
the Anarchists. The cut-purses who hang
upon the skirts of these two, will apply a
torch, if certain they are not seen, in hope
of plumber. They have no political faith
thought, hope or desire, and can be en-
rolled by whoever bids most for them, or
assures them Of most plumber. Possibly the
Anarchists could rally as many as 1000
men who would fight. Chicago has u pop
ulation of half a million, an armed guard
of 5000, police force of 700 men, and
back of all the United States of America,
with 100000 people, with capacity in
twenty-four hours to put 10000 men armed
for the law within Chicago, and in forty
eight hours three times as many more. The
Anarchists, with all their madness, know
this, and fully realize what it means.
But if danger is imminent and arson and
assassination will follow, in Chicago and
New York and other cities the hanging Of
these Haymarket murderers, still let them
be hanged. Better that Chicago should
again be laid in ashes than. that any pos
sible conflict between the forces Of an
archism and the people be postponed.
There never will be a better opportunity
than the present to crush the vicious ele-
ment that darcs to threaten punishment if
the law is enforced. No matter what may
follow, any compromise is out of the uues-
ton. If there is so much of retreat as
may be marked by the fraction of single
word OF temporizing, the difficulties of
conquering the criminal element will be
thousand fold increased The Anarch-
lists know this, and their chief hope is
that the authorities will manifest fear and
suggest pause. They know that such
action would immensely strengthen their
Infamous cause. If wisdom prevails the
execution will take place though with the
certainty that mountaineering and arson
will follow immediately upon the SPRING
ing Of the trap. Now is the time to settle the
question whether the law is to be main
tanned, or the Courts are to be over
thrown and the tribunals of anarchisn
are set up in their place.